


Pushing Nighthowlers

by BlueberryCarrotCake



Category: Pushing Daisies, Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Comedy, Crossover, Death, F/M, Gen, I bet you never saw this one coming, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-13
Updated: 2019-02-13
Packaged: 2019-10-27 07:47:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17762696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueberryCarrotCake/pseuds/BlueberryCarrotCake
Summary: Gideon Grey has a unique power.  He can touch dead things and bring them back to life.  If he touches them a second time, they die again, this time forever.  And if he leaves them alive for more than a minute, something else has to die.Naturally, he uses his powers to make the best pies in the tri-boroughs, out of a quaint shop known to the locals as the Pie Hole, with his one employee being his waitress, Sharla.  The only one who knows his secret is Jack Savage, a local Private Investigator, who gets him to use his powers to ask murder victims who killed them so they can both collect the reward.This carries on for a long time, until one day an old childhood friend of Gideon's, Judy Hopps, turns up dead.Recommendations: Imagine Jim Dale is narrating it to you as you read for the full experience





	Pushing Nighthowlers

At this very moment, in the town of Bunnyburrow, Gideon Grey was 9 years, 27 weeks, 6 days and 3 minutes old. The carrot days festival was in full swing, and he had just finished asserting his dominance as a strong, independent fox who could take what he wished without consequence. Or at least, mostly without consequence, as his muzzle was still sore from where Judy Hopps had kicked him. He’d left a solid scratch on her cheek in retaliation, but he had to admire her fighting spirit. That bunny didn’t know when to quit.

Gideon and Travis, his next-door-neighbor and best friend, were approaching the road at the edge of the festival, hoping to revel in the spoils of their victory away from the overwhelming fluffle of rabbits they had been engulfed in all day. But as Gideon paused to search his pockets for the tickets he had swiped from the younger mammals just minutes prior, Travis continued on.

At this very moment, Travis Mustela was 9 years, 13 weeks, 3 days and 27 minutes old. And not a minute older.

“LOOK OUT!” A shrill cry startled the young fox out of his brief search just in time to see a car suddenly careen into his best friend, sending him somersaulting through the air and across the street.

In a moment of panic, Gideon rushed forward as the perpetrator’s vehicle screeched to a halt. He ran to his friend’s now-lifeless body and grabbed him by the shoulders, hoping against all hope that he was simply unconscious. For a brief moment as he held him, he could have sworn he saw a short flash of golden light emerge from his paw pads and quickly soak into his best friend’s corpse.

Then, against all odds and all sense, Travis sat up, as if he hadn’t just been catapulted across the pavement by a speeding vehicle. The abrupt resurrection startled Gideon, who fell backwards in shock.

“Um… ya okay there Gid? Ya look like you just saw a ghost or somethin.” Travis nonchalantly commented, apparently unaware that he had just been dead. However, before Gideon could say anything, his friend was whisked onto a stretcher and carried away by rabbits dressed in EMT uniforms, who had been on standby at the festival in case of emergency. 

This was the moment that young Gideon realized he wasn’t like the other children. Nor was he like anyone else, for that matter.

Gideon could touch dead things, and bring them back to life.

This touch was a gift given to him, but not by anyone in particular. There was no box, no instructions, no manufacturer’s warranty. It just was. The terms and use weren’t immediately clear, nor were they of immediate concern. Gideon was simply glad to know his friend was not dead after all, and he went home feeling relieved.

\----------------------------------------------------------

But his relief was not to last. Upon reaching his home that evening, he was greeted by another tragic scene- his mother, who had been in the middle of baking Gideon’s favorite blueberry pie, was lying on the linoleum kitchen floor, dead of a burst blood vessel in her brain. Rushing to his mother’s side, he heard a news report coming from portable TV his mother kept in the kitchen, describing the incident at the Carrot Days Festival. Recounting his own unique perspective of those events, Gideon determined to try his newfound power once again. He gently touched his paw to his mother’s face, and a spark of golden light again burst forth, restoring her to life.

“Oh my. I must have slipped.” Mrs. Grey said before noticing her son hovering over her. “Oh, Gideon! I’m so glad you’re home!” She got to her feet and began fussing over the pie once more. “I heard what happened with Travis earlier, that must’ve been so traumatisin’! Here, I made you a pie. That oughta cheer ya nicely. Sit yerself at the table and I’ll serve it up in a sec, ok?”

Gideon nodded in agreement and sat quietly at the kitchen table while she checked the oven timer. He had the ability to bring the dead back to life. Surely there was some sort of superpowers, or magic, at play here. And if so, what were the limits of this power?

As he sat there at the table, pondering his new gift, Gideon looked out the screen door that led to his home’s porch, across his back yard, and over to Travis’ house. Mr. Mustela was outside, preparing a bugburger barbeque to celebrate his son’s survival. They made eye contact, and he waved at Gideon. Gideon politely waved back. Mr. Mustela put his grilling equipment down and began to walk over towards their back porch, presumably to ask him what had happened.

Three things happened at once. The oven timer dinged, indicating that approximately one minute had passed since Gideon had restored his mother to life. The news report confirmed that the drunk driver of the car that had hit Travis, an opossum from the next town over , had died on the scene, presumably of an aneurysm. And finally, Mr. Mustela, who had just crossed the threshold of the Grey’s lawn, collapsed, dead of a sudden and unexpected heart attack.

The rest of the evening went by in a blur. Mrs. Grey saw Mr. Mustela and called an ambulance, but it was too late to save him. Gideon just sat there, in complete shock. It was clear that his new gift had a caveat or two. It was a gift that not only gave… it took.

Young Gideon had discovered that he could only bring the dead back to life for one minute without consequence. Any longer, and someone else had to die.

\----------------------------------------------------------

But there was one more thing about touching dead things that young Gideon didn’t yet know. And he learned it in the most unfortunate way.

That night, after all the commotion was over and done, Gideon’s mother came to tuck him into bed as she always did. Most days he would have made a stink about being treated like a little kid, but today he was acutely aware of mortality, and all the conflicting emotions that come with that knowledge.

“Mom?”

“Yes, sweetie?”

“I… I’m glad you’re alive. I’m glad travis is alive.”

Mrs. Grey smiled at Gideon, a kind yet weary smile that was full of love for her son, but exhausted from all that had transpired that day. 

“I’m glad you’re alive too, Gideon. You’re my pride and joy, and it’d break my heart if I were to lose you.”

“I... I’m sorry about Travis’ dad, though. And the guy in the car. I’m sorry that they died.”

“It ain’t your fault, sweetie. It’s just life. Or, well, the end of it I guess. My only regret is that you had to see it all while you’re still so young,” Mrs. Grey’s smile dimmed with sadness as she nodded in agreement. “The mammal who hit Travis was drunk, and almost killed a child, so to be frank I won’t mourn him that much. But Mr. Mustlea was a good neighbor, and a kind man. He’s the one I’m sad to see go- especially with his son your age. I can only imagine what that boy must be going through right about now. Have you talked with him since the fair?”

Gideon shook his head somberly, feeling especially guilty for his friend. Mrs. Grey sat down at the foot of his bed and rested her paw on Gideon’s through his blanket.

“It’s not your fault, sweetheart. These things can cause some folk to put up a shell. Give him some time to heal, and be there when he needs you, ok?”

Gideon nodded, feeling waves of guilt crashing down on him, because he knew that she was wrong. Mr. Mustlea’s death was his fault, the price of saving hers. He hadn’t known it would be the price when he brought her back, but in the grand universal scheme of things, he had traded his mother’s life for travis’ father’s.

“But you listen to me now, Gideon. We’re here to be good to the folks we meet, to make friends with them, and to help each other in tough times. So long as we can do that, you can bet that we’ll all meet again one day in heaven. You understand me?”

His mother’s words comforted him a little. He was only beginning to understand some of the concepts the preacher talked about in church on sundays, but if what they were saying was true, then there was still hope for him yet.

Mrs. Grey’s sweet smile returned to her face as she looked at her son, leaning her head over his.

“You’re a good boy, Gideon Grey. You’re growing up and becoming a man, and I am so proud of you. Remember to always do good, you hear?” And with that, she planted a goodnight kiss on his forehead.

It was then that Gideon learned the third and final rule of his powers. With the kiss, his mother’s body went limp and fell to the floor, dead once again. Gideon tried bringing her back to life with another touch of his paw, but nothing happened. He tried again. Still nothing. Over and over, he tried to use his power to bring her back again, but to no avail. He screamed for help, and soon his father heard and called another ambulance, which pronounced her dead on arrival.

First touch, life. Second touch, dead again- this time, forever.

\----------------------------------------------------------

A few days later, the Bunnyburrow community came together in the local churchyard to mourn the passing of both Mrs. Grey and Mr. Mustlea. Mammals from every walk of life, who had worked with them, who had grown up with them, who had been their friends… everyone gave a brief eulogy for those they had lost.

Gideon and Travis’ entire school class showed up, even Judy and Sharla, who they had been bullying earlier that fateful day. Gideon shuddered at the sight of bandages on Judy’s face, a shameful reminder of how he’d been acting moments before his world got turned upside-down. Their eyes met, and all Gideon saw in Judy’s was pity, causing his shame to deepen even further.

As the double funeral ended, the last two left were Gideon and Travis, heads hung low in sadness. Several minutes passed before Travis finally broke the silence.

“I’m sorry about your mom. I really am.”

“...It’s all my fault.”

“What? No it ain’t, Gid. You didn’t do anything to cause this.”

“Yes, I did, Travis. This is my fault. If it weren’t for me, the only grave here would be my mother’s. Your dad didn’t have to die too. Travis, I’m… I’m so sorry!” Gideon was nearing tears, but he held them in to preserve his last shreds of dignity.

“...What are you talking about, Gideon?”

“I… I’ve gotta go, Travis. I’m sorry.”  
“What?” Travis looked at his friend, bewildered, “What do you mean? Gid, you can’t just say something like that, it wasn’t your-”

“DON’T TELL ME WHAT I KNOW, TRAVIS!”

“Hey, no need to get mad here, Gid. I’m only tryin’ to-”

As Travis had been speaking, he had put a comforting hand on Gideon’s shoulder. Gideon’s eyes widened in terror, realizing what would happen if he were to accidentally touch Travis again.

“DON’T TOUCH ME!!” He shouted, pulling away from Travis’ touch as quickly as he could. He was already responsible for three deaths, he would not be responsible for a fourth.

“Gid, talk to me man!” Travis pleaded, to no avail.

“NO! STAY AWAY FROM ME!”

And with those parting words, Gideon Grey took off, running out of the churchyard as fast as he could, leaving a confused and offended Travis standing by their parent’s graves. He ran and ran until he couldn’t run anymore, and collapsed under a tree, where his emotions got the better of him and all the tears he had been storing over the last several days came gushing out. He sat here, crying and crying and crying, until he ran out of tears and had to settle for merely sobbing uncontrollably. As the sun set, he still lay there, ground damp from his tears, until finally he fell asleep, not caring where he was or what happened to him.

The next day, Gideon awoke to find he had been covered by a homemade quilt, deep blue with tan lines criss-crossing at even intervals. Resting on top of it (and, by extension, him), he found a note which read:

> _I’m sorry about your mom. She was nice. This blanket reminded me of her and her famous blueberry pie, so I think you should have it. :,( -JLH._

Gideon was touched at this stranger’s kindness, though from the way the signature was followed by a crudely drawn police badge, he had a fairly good guess as to who it was from. Looking around, he saw that he had spent the night next to the Hopps’ carrot farm. He got up, wiped the sleep and dried tears from his eyes, and began his walk home.

**Author's Note:**

> Zootopia and Pushing Dasies. Not a crossover you ever expected to see, is it? This is my first time writing fanfiction for an online community like the Zootopia fandom, so I'm always open to suggestions, feedback, and constructive criticism. Thanks for reading what I have so far!


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